Preparing Linen for Artists
Behind the scenes at Tingari Arts
Before the artists paint their magic, every painting surface must be carefully prepared. At Tingari Arts, this process takes time, patience, and skill.
The material used is often called “canvas”, but it is actually Belgian linen, a beautiful and expensive fabric that provides a superior painting surface.
My colleague and friend Sonnie Chalmers from Utopia’s Eastern Desert Art and I would jointly purchase large rolls of Belgian linen, typically 50 metres long and 3 metres wide. From this roll, I would measure out around five metres at a time and begin constructing wooden stretcher frames in various sizes so that every centimetre of linen could be used efficiently.
Linx & Josiah, Alice Springs 2004
Using chalk, I marked out each frame on the linen, allowing about 15 centimetres around the edges. The stretcher bars would be leaning against a wall while I cut each section of linen slightly larger than the frame, giving enough fabric to wrap around the sides and staple securely on the back.
Linx having 'smoko' at work, Diarama, Alice Springs 2004
Stretching the linen evenly across the frame is essential. The surface must be pulled taut while stapling so the final painting surface remains smooth and stable. This was also where I learned the technique of making hospital corners, ensuring the linen folds neatly at each edge.
Once the linen was stretched, it was lightly sprayed with water to remove any small creases.
Then the real preparation began.
Fortunately, I had found a large stainless steel table from a restaurant kitchen that was closing down, which allowed me to work on canvases up to 200 cm by 83 cm. I also had another table under a tree at the Tingari Arts painting area.
At my table in the back garden, I would spend many hours preparing each surface with four separate coats, sanding between each stage. In Central Australia’s dry climate, the paint dried very quickly, which helped the process move along.
The first coat is gesso, which seals the porous linen so that oil or acrylic paint is not absorbed into the fabric. This helps artists use less paint and ensures colours remain vibrant.
When dry, the surface is lightly sanded.
A second coat of gesso is then applied, followed by another gentle sanding once dry.
Great friend visiting Linx, Jane Kiel, gessoing preparation of artworks at Tingari Arts
The third coat introduces colour. A layer of premium artist acrylic polymer is applied as the background tone. Black is the most common colour used by many artists, but some artists request a specific colour. For example, Walala Tjapaltjarri prefers a deep red background for his stories.
After this coat dries, the canvas is again gently sanded.
The fourth and final coat uses the same colour, but it is applied carefully with the brush strokes all moving in one direction to create a smooth, consistent surface.
And this time there is no sanding.
The linen, often simply called “canvas”, is now ready.
Ready for the artist.
